NSW police officer Kristian White avoids jail after fatal tasering of Clare Nowland

Senior Constable Kristian White will not serve time after causing the death of Clare Nowland, 95. Picture / NewsWire, Nikki Short

An Australian police officer who fatally tasered a great-grandmother at a nursing home has learned his fate.

A New South Wales police officer who said “bugger it” before fatally tasering a great-grandmother at a nursing home in rural NSW will not spend any time behind bars, a Supreme Court judge has ruled.

Senior Constable Kristian White, 34, was found guilty in November of the manslaughter of Clare Nowland, 95, following a trial in the NSW Supreme Court.

White was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order in the Supreme Court on Friday.

Under the conditions, White is to perform 425 hours of community service and is not to commit any further offence.

Heartbroken members of Nowland’s family cried out loudly as the sentence was handed down.

White had been called to Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma before 5am on May 17, 2023, to assist with Nowland, whom a nurse described as a “very aggressive” resident holding two knives.

Nowland, who used a walking frame to move slowly around the home, was holding a single knife and a penlight when White found her sitting in an office after 5am.

Nursing home staff, paramedics and police can be seen searching for Clare Nowland, 95, in the minutes before she was fatally tasered by Senior Constable Kristian White.

He repeatedly told her to drop the blade during a tense two-minute confrontation before he pointed his service Taser at the great-grandmother and activated the warning signals.

The jury was told Nowland had undiagnosed dementia which made it difficult for her to follow directions. The Taser was pointed at her for a minute before White pulled the trigger.

“Nah … just bugger it,” White said before deploying the Taser probes at her chest.

“Got her.”

Nowland fell backwards and struck her head on the floor. She died in hospital days later.

After four days of deliberation, the jury unanimously found White guilty of manslaughter on November 27 last year.

White was suspended with pay throughout the trial, but was removed from the NSW Police Force days after the verdict was handed down. White is challenging the decision.

Justice Ian Harrison slammed White’s behaviour, deeming his actions “unlawful and dangerous”.

“While I am unable to conclude his actions were either gross or wicked … the tragic fact is that White completely and inexplicably misread and misunderstood the dynamics of the situation,” he told the court.

“Try as I might I am unable to conclude it should not or could not have been handled differently … common sense should have concluded that a frail and confused 95-year-old woman could not expected to be of a threat.

“His training and experience in life should’ve alerted him to these obvious realities.”

In a letter read to the court, White said he is “truly sorry” and takes “full responsibility” for his actions.

“I deeply regret my actions and the severe consequences they have caused,” he said.

White said there “isn’t a single day” that goes by in which he doesn’t think about the day of the incident.

“I have lost the job and career that I have enjoyed for over a decade,” he said.

“Police face difficult situations and are required to make judgements.

“I am willing to accept the consequences for my actions.”

During an emotional sentence hearing last month, Justice Harrison was told of the devastating impact Nowland’s death had on their entire family, including her young grandkids.

Nowland’s eldest son Michael Nowland said the more he learned about the incident the more “confused” he felt.

“I will never forgive this officer for tasering and killing my mum,” he said.

“Mum did not deserve to have her life end in this manner … she was a caring and dignified lady, but she did not die with dignity.”

Clare Nowland was tasered by police at an aged care home in Cooma.

Michael Nowland told the court his family had also suffered the cruel reality of running into White in the Cooma community while he was on bail.

“It has not been fair that the Nowland family has run into the perpetrator over the last 18 months,” he said.

“The perpetrator should have been placed into custody on the May 17, 2023, and dismissed from the police force.”

Nowland is survived by eight children, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

White has not spent any time behind bars on remand since he was charged over the fatal confrontation.

Nowland’s family said they were “disappointed” with the decision not to detain White after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of their matriarch.